5 Reasons Living in Cold Wet Weather Gives You Great Style

Even as I’m writing this, I can barely keep myself from bursting out laughing. I can just imagine a collective “Huh?? Is she insane?” sort of reaction as you read the title, and I can’t blame you. “Living in cold wet weather gives you great style”… Really??

Well yes! Ok, so staying in a rainy, windy, chilly city -hello, Amsterdam!- usually means you have to forego a nice hairstyle. I mean, why bother, with all the wind? It means giving up a full face of make-up (umm hello, rain?) And it means you can leave your cute outfits at home, as your main goal becomes not dying of hypothermia. But while rain can take your good mood and styling flair down the drain, it can actually help you develop better style:

Start playing with colours

Living in a gloomy city can make you want to never get out of your black clothes. But what if you go the opposite route? Try your hand at introducing primary colours or pastels in your daily looks! Be brave enough to become that bright spot in a sea of black, charcoal and navy.

Infusing some colour in your outfits, even if you start with small pops like accessories, will make you feel more optimistic. It will also most likely force you out of your comfort zone. And once you do it with your clothes and see how much confidence you gain, I think you’ll be excited to extend it to other areas of your life.

Waterproof your makeup

Rainy weather means you can never keep a full make-up look on, right? Wrong! You don’t have to skip your make-up routine just because the weather is drizzly, just look for waterproof versions of your favourite products.

And luckily the beauty scene is flooded with them- some of my picks are Maybelline’s Lasting Drama eyeliner in Blackest Black, a gel liner that doesn’t budge once it’s dry, Lancome’s Hypnose Waterproof Mascara, and the lightweight Shiseido Synchro Skin foundation. These stay put all day even through rain, but when I have a special event and want to be extra sure nothing destroys my painstakingly crafted look, I use a couple spritzes of Urban Decay’s make-up setting spray and I’m good to go.

Lock your locks against wind and rain

When it comes to your hairstyle, wind and rain are known enemies. But if you want to keep your locks coiffed, gloomy weather isn’t the worst thing in the world. You just need a strong hairspray- or better yet, a setting+ anti-humidity spray, like this one from Oribe.

An alternative is minimally styling your hair, and just letting it breathe for a bit. It may be hard, but your hair will be healthier, longer and shinier for it. Plus you’ll get that cool, Kate Moss/ just rolled out of bed sort of look. Pair it with lived in eyeliner and the coolest leather jacket you own and you’re golden!

Break out your accessories

Cold wet weather means you have to bundle up, sure. But it also means you have more time out of the year for your favourite coats, scarves, over the knee boots and cute hats. A composition (and your outfit is one if you choose to see it this way) is always more aesthetically pleasing if it’s based on three elements rather than two.

So if it’s cold and you already have a cute dress and jacket on, you can complete the look with a scarf or tights, and you already look more put-together and fashionable. However if it’s hot and sunny, your main concern will be having as little on as possible without risking a public indecency fine- the mere thought of adding 3 elements to your outfit will go out the window. So really now, which scenario would you prefer? (…yeah, I’d choose the heat too.)

Animate your imagination

And finally, living in a rainy place while trying to look your best, will force you to become more inventive. You will need to keep experimenting with different means of protecting your clothes, hair and make-up from the elements. But you will also come out on the other side more prepared, more creative and ultimately, more stylish. After all, looking good in perfect weather is easy! Doing the same when nature seems to be coming for you is playing the style game on expert mode 🙂

So all, hopefully I’ve given you a new outlook on how to deal with the weather if you live in a gloomy climate. Thanks for reading, and be sure to share and like the article if you found it useful/ funny/ an acceptable way to help pass your commute! See you here again soon xoxo